City fails to help resettled people

The lives of people moved out of their lands and resettled to make way for public projects in HCM City have not improved following their move, city officials said at a seminar on Monday.

Hua Ngoc Thao, deputy chairman of the District 2 People's Committee, said though apartments meant for resettlement and infrastructure there are "better than their old places," the people face more difficulties.

This is because people lose their livelihoods after being moved far from their workplaces, and are unable to do business or sell goods at their new place either, he said.


A study by the HCM City Research and Development Institute of around 2,000 resettled families in eight districts last year found that incomes had declined for 29 per cent of them and remained the same for 57 per cent.

It also found that 14 per cent had worse jobs than before and 77 per cent had similar jobs.

Tran Van Than, deputy head of the institute, said the survey results are a concern because the incomes of most people had declined or remained equal after their move.

Many of the resettled people are not highly educated and often are casual workers, making it difficult for them to keep their jobs after moving or improve their lives, he said.

Huynh Cong Hung, head of the People's Council's Culture and Society Division, said many people returned to their original dwelling places from resettlement apartments just to rent houses and do some business.

At some resettlement projects, 98 per cent of the families sold their apartments and moved out, he said.

Though technically the city provides soft loans for resettled people to do business, get vocational training, find new jobs, and help their children study, Fund 156 meant for that purpose is hardly used, he said.

Many people who are relocated do not know about this fund, he said.

Participants told the seminar that to use the fund efficaciously the prerequisite is to investigate the social needs of people before resettling them.

Hung said the vocational training that the city provides them is not appropriate for their needs either.